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NégoPif - GR+++ (gros réseau +++)

Description

Signed and numbered copy

aalliicceelleessccaannnnee&ssoonniiaaddeerrzzyyppoollsskkii created in September 2013 an edition entitled “Pif” characterised by the fact that their prices vary greatly, from a mere ten euros to hundreds or thousands depending only on the issue of Que sais-je? that has been included inside. Each price tag is carefully justified, albeit in a somewhat absurd manner.

Thirty copies of the edition were shown for the very first time at mfc-michèle didier in November 2013 and a curator from the Bibliothèque Kandinsky chose to purchase the “Pif” containing a Que sais-je? on The Art Critic… it’s price was “negotiable”.

Its asking price was determined in reverse of the usual procedure for a museum: the artists offered the Bibliothèque to undertake a public bartering which would involve an epistolary exchange.

The latter accepted this proposal, and after two years of negotiating, the Bibliothèque Kandinsky and the artists finally reached an agreement regarding the work’s value, which led to a performance on the 16th of December 2016 in the library itself. For this event, the artists negotiated a change of place and of speech: they were the ones who announced the acquisition of Pif which now belongs to the Bibliothèque Kandinsky’s collection while the curators were to play the role of emerging artists.

Today, the entire epistolary exchange as well as the text taken from the final performance come together to constitute this new edition, NégoPif.

NEGOPIF: CHOOSE THE PRICE THAT SUITS YOU BEST!

The Negotiation chapter of NégoPif takes on the layout of a diary. We have not only included letters, but also appointments with and names of the important people we met as well as the many tasks we had to complete in order to reach agreements following negotiations. This diary gives you an authentic view on the inner workings of our bartering.

Buying NégoPif will do more than grant you ownership of the negotiation itself: you will also gain access to contacts that could entirely change your life.

But we know not everyone has the same thirst for meetings so there are four possible options:

You choose the PR (petit réseau - small network) for the modest price of 90 euros: this includes the diary plus 14 business cards.

1. You’re not interested in meeting new people and you generally avoid all human contact. For that matter you’re currently capable of filtering out the presence of people surrounding you at up to a distance of five metres.

You choose the MR (moyen réseau - medium network) for 120 euros: this includes the diary plus 23 business cards.

2. You consider yourself to be an average person who hates extremes and eccentricity in general. You’re not a misanthropist per se, but paying for Julian Assange’s business card (which is included in the PR) does seem somewhat excessive to you.

You choose the GR (gros réseau - big network) for 160 euros: this includes the diary plus 33 business cards.

3. You’re smart and you know you’ll have no trouble selling the cards either individually or as a set on eBay or on the business card black market. This will earn you the amount necessary to purchase the Holy Grail: the GR+++.

You choose the GR +++ (gros réseau - big network +++) for the tidy price of 1500 euros: this includes the diary plus 34 business cards.

4. You’ve been single for 15 years now so it’s time to stack all the odds in your favour. You’re thinking: “Who knows? maybe my perfect match is hidden behind that 34th contact.”